If there's one spirit this release embodies — from the album title to the track names, and even the artwork — it's that of the unadorned. Under this Percussions moniker, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) produces his most clinical work to date, with every track itching to be pumped through a sound-system. This differs from Four Tet's usual albums, where the bangers are offset by downtempo, idyllic affairs. The tracks on 2011 Until 2014 cater to no such downtime; these no-nonsense rarities can typically be found lingering in murky, underground areas or openly bounding through two-hour DJ sets.
Aside from the darker tone throughout, 2011 Until 2014 plays a lot like any recent Four Tet album: there's the digital ascent into the clouds on "January 2014," slick kicks on "KHLHI" and chunky rhythms on the drum-heavy "Rabbit Songs." Having said that, the latter of these is as close as Hebden has come to straight-up techno thus far. Whether or not he'll run with this harder element or decide to reel it back with his next release is anyone's guess, but this somewhat shadier version of Four Tet is proving to be even more intriguing than his everyday counterpart.
(Independent)Aside from the darker tone throughout, 2011 Until 2014 plays a lot like any recent Four Tet album: there's the digital ascent into the clouds on "January 2014," slick kicks on "KHLHI" and chunky rhythms on the drum-heavy "Rabbit Songs." Having said that, the latter of these is as close as Hebden has come to straight-up techno thus far. Whether or not he'll run with this harder element or decide to reel it back with his next release is anyone's guess, but this somewhat shadier version of Four Tet is proving to be even more intriguing than his everyday counterpart.
